This discussion forum is hosted by the UNM Hobbit Society at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM, USA. The purpose of our group is to meet and associate with others interested in Tolkien, and to learn more about the author, his written works, and his sources through discussion, guest lectures and academically-oriented activities. This blog is intended to expand discussion among UNM Hobbit Society members beyond what meeting times allow.

Monday, April 18, 2011

creative projects

I enjoyed doing my creative project, although I came across one difficulty. Sometimes it was hard for me to deviate from what Tolkien actually wrote. I think this was hard because he is the master behind this world... and I love what he wrote so much, that at times it was hard to be creative because I just wanted to tell the same story! And I am satisfied with my project because I do tell the same story, perhaps in a different way.I was curious if you guess thought the same way, or differently.

3 comments:

I can totally empathize with you! It feels so wrong to me to change anything Tolkien wrote because I think he is an extraordinary writer and the supreme creator of Middle-earth. That's why I chose to do artwork for my project instead of writing a story because I just couldn't bring myself to change anything or even tell a tale he didn't fully explain in his books.

TOTAL AGREEMENT. For awhile while I was writing, I felt like I was just writing LOTR all over again even using my favorite phrases from the book! I ended up compromising and writing Tolkien's characters basically the same as how he portrayed them, and then I added a few of my own original characters. I had your same problem, though!

The story that I wrote involved characters that weren't really in Tolkien's original works (or were characters that had only been mentioned in passing), so I didn't have much trouble with rewriting the same things he did. The thing I was going for in my project, though, was trying to recreate Tolkien's charming, slightly humorous, "storytelling" voice - and THAT was what I found really hard! It made me REALLY appreciate his ability to tell a good faery-story!